


i told the stars about you

by aliciaclarkes



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV), The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Canon Lesbian Character, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Useless Lesbians, idiots to lovers, just hold hands, like theyre really stupid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27478207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliciaclarkes/pseuds/aliciaclarkes
Summary: Dani Clayton is miserable in her relationship. She is slowly falling out of love with her fiance, Eddie, but she is also hiding a big secret: she thinks she might be gay. After moving to London for Eddie's job, she runs into a local florist and feels an immediate connection. Now, she must decide between keeping her elementary sweetheart or finding her true self with someone else.
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Jamie, Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 15
Kudos: 159





	1. Chapter 1

Raindrops trickled down the oval windows, shaking at the altitude, wagging their tails as they pooled at the bottom. Dani rested her head against the glass, feeling the cold seep into her heated cheeks; she had been sitting in this damn seat for way too long. 

Eddie slept peacefully beside her, his glasses askew, his black hair a matted mess from rubbing against the plastic seats one too many times. Dani smiled at him, watching his eyes flutter behind his lids. A pang in her gut reminded her that the worst was yet to come. She quickly lost her glow, and turned her attention back towards the graying sky that surrounded them. 

It was only a week ago that Eddie broke the news, and it was something Dani did not remember fondly. 

“We’re moving to London,” he said with a grin, his arms outstretched in waiting. The cat wrapped his tail around Dani’s legs as she stared at Eddie in confusion. This was not the plan, this has never been the plan. In fact, Dani had a plan of her own, and it certainly did not include moving to a different country. 

Time seemed stiller in that moment. The air was stale, with only the sounds of honking cars passing by outside their shabby New York City apartment. Dani still couldn’t find the words, feeling her tongue swell in panic. 

“I got a job offer at the London office yesterday. I-I told them yes, I thought you would be happy to leave.” Eddie quickly shot his arms back down at his sides, reaching for Dani’s hand as she stared glassily at him. She couldn’t even squeak a disapproval. “They offered to pay for a place near the office until we find jobs. I felt like it would be stupid to turn it down,” Eddie said, his voice lowering at the end, drooping down like a saddened puppy. It was enough to snap Dani out of herself. 

“I...this is great. I’m sorry, I just...we just haven’t talked about moving, and I-”

“I thought moving was what you wanted? You seem so sad here, I thought it would be a fresh start.”  _ Props to him for trying, _ Dani thought to herself. In truth, Dani wasn’t tired of where they lived. She wasn’t tired of catching the subway to work every day, or getting crazily expensive coffee at the shop down the street that she could’ve just made at home for cheaper; she was tired of the lie. The lie that she was happy with Eddie, happy with their life, happy with their engagement. She had a secret that burrowed deeper within her heart every time Eddie kissed her temple or held her hand. She was not tired of her life, she was tired of her life with  _ him _ . 

Eddie snored himself awake, startling both himself and Dani. She looked to him in reassurance, noticing that she no longer reached out her hand in comfort as she once did. Instead, her hands sat helplessly in her lap as Eddie stretched in the neighboring seat. “How long was I out?” He questioned, rubbing his hands over his shadowy facial hair. It never managed to grow any longer, but it always managed to make Dani hate kissing him. 

“About three hours,” she said softly. “We’re almost there, another hour maybe.” She looked down to her lap. Her fingers turned her engagement ring over and over, picking at the tiny diamonds lining the sides. It felt like carrying an elephant in the palm of her hand. It weighed her down like an anchor, more and more with each passing morning. She felt as if she may drown under the weight. She took a deep breath, shot a weak smile at her fiance, and turned back towards the window. Fifty-nine minutes and counting. 

***

Eddie whistled to the airport taxi rolling its way to the curb. Dani stared at the light reflecting in his glasses and knew it would haunt her forever. The way he cares for her, the way he stands for her, it’s all so precious but she knows it will never be enough. A sudden wave of nausea rolled over her as Eddie put their bags in the trunk of the cab. His voice shocked her back into reality, realizing that he had been holding her door open for sometime while encouraging her to step inside. She smiled at him, pulling her jacket higher up around her neck as she stepped into the car, flinching as Eddie closed the door behind her. 

“Where are we off to?” 

“King’s road,” Dani said meekly. Eddie sat down beside her in the backseat, shaking the car a bit as he shut the door. She noticed tiny white flakes on his shoulders. 

“Is it going to snow all night?” She asked him, buckling as the driver pulled away from the airport. The snowflakes were being waved off the windshield by the wipers, still set at a low speed for the time being. 

“It’s supposed to get worse tonight, I reckon,” the driver interjected, turning up the heat with calloused hands. Dani felt sick, leaning into the chilled window to calm herself. She had a bad habit of getting worked up easily, and it’s only gotten worse as the feeling in her chest brews hotter. 

The snowflakes fell from the sky in white specks, barely enough to call them snowflakes at all. Dani tried counting each one that landed on her window, listening to the crackling from the radio announce the date; she sighed as she realized they were only a week out from Christmas Eve. She couldn’t bring herself to find gifts for Eddie ahead of time. In fact, she didn’t even ask him what he wanted this year. Fortunately, Eddie has never been that observant and hasn’t questioned her lack of Christmas preparation. She sighed heavily, watching as her breath fogged up the glass. The streetlights all but vanished as they drove, plunging the cab into darkness. Dani prayed they would be there soon. 

*** 

The door to their new apartment creaked open like a haunted house. Dani dragged her suitcase behind her, nearly tripping herself on the rug sprawled in the walkway. The ceilings were high, the appliances were silver and new, and the living room was fully furnished with a shabby couch and a red armchair tucked neatly in the corner by the balcony door. Dani took everything in, her eyes darting from space to space, absorbing the eggshell walls and the outlets that were an entirely different shape. She made a mental note to go shopping the next day for new extension cords that would actually fit in the walls. 

“Well?” Eddie asked excitedly, shrugging off his coat and laying it across the arm of the couch. “How do you like it? I know it’s not much, and there’s only one bedroom, but we can always move once we find jobs.” 

Dani smiled sadly at him, nodding her head along to his words while excusing herself down the hallway. She peered into the bedroom, with only a mattress and a dresser as decoration, and added a new duvet to her list. 

As she closed the bedroom door, she noticed there was only one other door in the hall, adjacent to the bedroom. She spun on her heels, her hair twisting around her neck with the speed. 

“There’s only one bathroom?” She asked, trying to keep the shaky sound out of her voice. Eddie looked at her confused, nodding slowly. 

“There was only one in New York, too,” he reminded her gently. Dani rubbed her lips together, curling her toes to keep from chewing on the inside of her cheeks. She smiled and let out a breath of hot air. “You’re right,” she conceded. “I just thought we would be getting a bigger place, but you’re right. We can always move when we get some money.” 

Eddie smiled and pulled Dani into his arms. His sweater was scratchy against her cheek, and she swallowed hard enough to nearly dislodge the lump in her throat; but only nearly. She placed her hands gently on his hardened chest, as if she was afraid to rest in his embrace. He kissed the top of her head and she sighed heavily, pulling away to brush her blond hair behind her ears. 

“I’m going to start unpacking,” she said softly without looking up at Eddie still looming above her. She never truly realized how tall he had grown from when they were 5th grade sweethearts. His lanky height, while conventionally attractive to most, made her feel child-like walking next to him. His hands hung low at his sides, and Dani was constantly looking up to see him. She imagined, just for a moment, what it would be like to hold softer hands than his. What it would be like to nudge noses at the same height. What it would be like to place her hands on a chest swelling with femininity instead of itchy sweaters and hardened muscles. 

She blinked hard, snapping herself out of whatever world she descended into. She ran a hand through her wild hair, pushing it away from her face before grabbing a suitcase and towing it to the near-empty bedroom. 

Unpacking was not necessarily a difficult task, but it did take Dani longer than she expected. Perhaps it was partially due to the moments in which she stopped moving all together, where she sat frozen in her own mind. She had her fleece sweater folded over her arm for minutes before she even realized there was a knock at the bedroom door. 

She flinched at the sound, hurrying to fold the sweater and tuck it into the bottom dresser drawer. 

“How’s it going in here?” Eddie came into the room with a set of mismatched mugs, steam stretching in loops towards the ceiling. He kneeled down, handing her the plain white mug. She took it gratefully, feeling the warmth spread through her palm and reach towards her fingertips. 

“I’m almost done,” she said softly as she took a sip of her coffee. “I got a little distracted but I-”

“Are you alright Dan?” Eddie asked, setting his mug down on the floor beside him. 

“Of course, why do you ask?”

“You’ve just been...I don’t know, out of it I guess? It just feels like you’re not really here all the time.”

Dani sighed and picked up another one of her shirts, noticing the hole near the bottom where she tucks it into her pants. She started to pick at the loose threads. 

“I’m fine, Eddie. I’m just tired is all. It’s been a stressful week, you know? Just...just trying to get everything together, and then with the moving it’s just...I’m just a bit tired.” 

She looked up at him with a smile. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice it never reached her eyes. He nodded in understanding, albeit sad understanding. Dani sighed in relief; he seemed to accept her answer at face value, which is all she could’ve hoped for. 

“Well then,” Eddie said, slowly standing with his mug in his hands. He made the porcelain look doll-like with his size. Dani closed her eyes as he stepped forward to place a kiss at the crown of her head before walking out of the bedroom entirely. 

She took another look at the shirt in her hands, staring at the hole that had only gotten bigger after Eddie stepped into the room. She threw it haphazardly into the drawer and felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Maybe she was just stressed, she thought to herself. Maybe it doesn’t go any deeper than that. Maybe, just maybe, she is meant to be with Eddie, and she’s meant to be with Eddie in London. Maybe she’s been wrong this whole time. Maybe, maybe, maybe. 

She went into the bathroom to take a shower. 

***

That night Dani stared holes into the ceiling. Eddie had been asleep for hours, gently snoring by her side. She couldn’t bring herself to look over at him as she once would, perhaps to brush the curls out of his eyes or rub his back as he breathed in and out. Tears welled and threatened to break as Dani huffed. Light sunk into their bedroom window as a car soared by, the headlights flooding the room in a pale yellow and grungy orange haze. The color was sucked from the room as the car passed, plunging Dani back into darkness. She felt as though she was waiting for something, though she couldn’t really figure out what she would be waiting for, exactly. She felt itchy and impatient as she laid next to her snoring lover, finding the noise that was once peaceful to be incredibly grating. 

She lifted her hands from under the thin bed sheet to rub at her eyes with her palms. Sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon. Dani conceded, lifting the sheet just enough to slip her bare feet onto the cold wood beneath her. She tiptoed out of the bedroom, narrowly avoiding the squeak in the floorboards by the doorframe. She made a mental note to get that fixed as well, thankful that she had even more reason to go out the next day. 

The moon hung low in the sky, skimming the clouds with a stroke of white. Dani opened the living room window just a crack, feeling the chilled winter air soothe her bones from the inside. She breathed deep, willing her nerves to calm. She truly had no idea what she was going to do. She had never intended to come this far, but now, in a different country thousands of miles away from home, she felt a sinking feeling in her gut that this, this lie she is living, is permanent. 

She thought back to her dress fitting in the city, closing her eyes as she pictured it. Dani could practically feel the tailor gliding a reassuring hand across her back. She could taste the Dior perfume that made her head spin. She could hear the heels clicking on the floor behind her. 

The hairs on her arm prickled with the thought, but Dani quickly shut the window and concluded it was from the cold England air and the air alone. She sauntered back to bed, wrapping her arms around herself and biting her lip with urgency.  _ Maybe all I need is a good night’s sleep _ , she thought to herself. She prayed to the sky above that she would feel better tomorrow. 

***

The sound of a loud honk broke Dani out of her gaze just in time to jump back onto the curb. The driver stuck his middle finger out the window, waggling it at her as he drove by. Dani felt the air slowly return to her lungs, releasing her titanium grasp on the city map in her hands. She felt incredibly lost, even with everything written in plain English. She twisted and turned the map, hoping to find where she was somewhere amongst the squiggling black lines. 

A bell’s sharp ringing shocked her from her focus. Across the street sat a flower shop, tucked neatly into a row of identical brick store entrances on either side. A woman with maroon overalls had walked out onto the sidewalk, prompting the store bell to ring. 

Her hair, dark and pulled back, was adorned with a red bandana, two strands of curls on either side the only hair to escape. One buckle of her overalls was undone and hung low, drooping to reveal a tight white shirt underneath. The buckle swayed as she walked out while waving at someone passing by; probably a familiar face. Her smile was immaculate, bright and comforting, even from where Dani stood across the street. She wore gardening gloves on her hands, which looked huge compared to her slender arms. She picked up a potted flower from the ground near the store entrance and gently brushed dirt from the petals. She turned the pot around in her hands, as if she were inspecting the plant for any injuries. Her gaze quickly turned from bubbly to concentrated as she put the pot back down on the ground. She retreated back into the store, taking off her gloves and holding them with her right hand. 

Dani took a deep breath and crossed the street. She had no idea where she was or what she was doing, but she felt a sudden urgency to be inside the flower shop. She walked quickly, making sure to look for oncoming traffic this time. 

Big white letters were painted onto the windows, the name of the store saying:  _ The Leafling _ . A small red awning above the door repeated the name and Dani was sure to repeat it over and over in her head so she wouldn’t forget; if she got lost, at least she would know one thing for certain. 

She gently pulled open the door, listening to the bell above her ring its familiar song. The inside of the store smelt wonderful, with flowers bursting from every inch. Large wheelbarrows were set up as displays, filled with dirt and a multitude of flowers, all different shapes and colors. The air was filled with a perfume no one would ever be able to bottle, making it incredibly unique and comforting as it sunk deep into Dani’s chest. 

“Hello,” came a voice. “How can I help ya’?” It was lilted, thick with an accent reminiscent of northern England, or perhaps even Scotland to some degree. It was sultry but feminine at the same time, and Dani spun her head to see the florist emerge slowly from the back hallway. 

Dani immediately forgot to breathe as she watched the woman approach her with a questioning gaze; she realized she was the only one in the store. 

“I, yes, uh,” she stammered, clearing her throat and shaking her head before finally smiling at the florist, still watching her with confusion. “I was...looking to buy a bouquet!” Dani flinched as she realized she sounded a little too excited.  _ Tone it down _ , she said to herself. She watched a grin crawl up the florist’s lips before she walked behind the glass checkout counter. 

“Well, what do you like? We have plenty of options,” she said softly, pulling out a thick book from beneath the cash register and plopping it on the counter. “Have a look, yeah?” 

“Oh, yes thank you,” Dani said quickly, approaching the counter and prying the catalogue open. She had no idea what she was doing, nor what she was exactly looking for, but she became a bit lightheaded as she felt warmth radiate off the florist’s hands still folded on the counter, just inches from Dani’s own. She lifted her gaze from the book just slightly, only enough to see the florist’s moss-colored eyes meet hers. 

Dani quickly snapped her eyes back down towards the laminated pages, finding the cheapest bouquet as quickly as possible. She pointed at it. 

“This one.”

“Alright, any color requests?” 

Dani froze. She thought it would be an exact copy of the catalogue’s picture, a vibrant combination of oranges and pinks. 

“Um,” she started, feeling tongue tied as the florist smiled politely at her. She noticed another chestnut curl unraveling from underneath the woman’s bandana, framing her face perfectly. Her cheeks were slightly red, her skin entirely smooth and bright like porcelain. There was a bit of dirt just beneath her collarbone, exposed by her unbuckled overalls. Dani swallowed hard. 

“White,” she finally blurted out. Of course, she thought to herself, pick the most boring color in the world. She felt entirely unoriginal and out of her element. There was something about this woman that shook her to her core. 

“Alright, be right back,” the florist said with a smirk, leaving Dani at the counter to walk down the hall. Her figure was perfectly accentuated by her overalls, creases forming at the backs of her knees from constantly kneeling over, the fabric cuffed at the ankles to expose black converse with dirtied white laces. Dani shook her gaze back to her slightly shaking hands when she noticed herself mesmerized by the woman’s stride. She bit her lip in consequence, hoping the florist would come back soon so she could get out of the shop. 

“Here ya are,” said the woman, coming back with a small bouquet of white roses wrapped gently with bright blue ribbon. 

“H-how much?”

“It’ll be  £ 8.”

Dani nodded, clumsily opening up her coat pocket. She grasped her hand around bills, pulling out a handful of entirely American dollars. 

“I only have cash,” she said, watching as the florist, with a slender hand resting on her hip, raised a single eyebrow. “We just moved here, well yesterday actually, but I haven’t had any time to go to a bank or-”

“It’s alright,” the woman laughed, offering a hand to take whatever cash Dani had. Their fingers brushed each other, just for a moment, but Dani felt like her entire body was electrified. 

“Next time just bring something proper, yeah?” 

Dani nodded regretfully, watching as the florist tucked the cash into the register beneath the drawer. 

“Thank you. I’m so sorry again, thank you,” Dani stammered gratefully, grasping the bouquet tightly in her hand as she turned to walk out. 

“Visit again sometime, yeah?” Dani turned back to look at the florist with a hand on the door handle. The woman was still standing behind the counter, but her cheeks were lifted with a smile that reached the creases of her eyes. 

Dani nodded with a smirk, pushing open the door. She waited until she had crossed the street before she rested her hands on her knees, taking in a deep breath of the crisp afternoon air. The weight of the unnecessary flowers in her hand grounded her to the sidewalk. 

She was definitely going back there again. 


	2. Chapter 2

“There you are,” came a voice from the kitchen. Dani stepped through the door with a deep breath. The wrapping on the flowers in her hand crinkled under her grip. 

“Where have you been all day?” Eddie asked, walking towards her with a towel in his hands, dragging the fabric over his rough skin again and again. He was wearing an apron with a tiny red pocket in the center of his chest; he was in the middle of cooking supper. 

“I-I went to explore town a bit,” Dani huffed, slipping her shoes off on the entry rug and using her spare thumb to brush her bangs behind her ears. 

“Oh yeah? How was that?”

“It was great, actually. I think I’m starting to know my way around, but the maps here are so confusing,” she remarked, walking past Eddie into the kitchen to set the flowers on the counter. 

“What are those?” 

“I got them this afternoon, just something to liven up the place,” Dani said, absently picking at the loose skin around her thumbnail. Eddie walked towards her with outstretched hands, stopping her fidgeting and ruthless destructive habits. She looked up at him, watching his warm eyes glow beneath the lens of his glasses. 

“Well they’re beautiful,” he commented, making a point to pick a single flower from the bunch and lift the bulb to his freckled nose, inhaling deeply. Dani watched him break apart the bouquet and felt nauseous. She knew there was no reason to be angry with him for such insignificant actions, but she still found herself becoming annoyed. Maybe it was his smile, or the stubble on his chin, or perhaps his shaggy eyebrows that never stayed trimmed. Dani wanted so badly for these things to be true, but they weren’t. As she watched Eddie set the flower back down and return to his steaming pot on the stove, she knew it wasn’t his fault. It would never be his fault that she felt this way; she wasn’t sure it was anyone’s. 

Dani leaned her weight against the counter, holding the edge with her palms while the edge dug notches into her spine. She watched as he began filling the teapot with water from the sink, wincing as the faucet squeaked its protest. 

“Do you mind if I take that to bed? I’m a little tired tonight,” Dani asked, nudging her lower lip between her teeth. Eddie turned off the sink, holding the teapot by the handle. 

“Are you okay?” He asked with a questioning gaze. “You don’t seem like yourself lately. If it’s something I did I-”

“No, no, no. I-it’s nothing, I just had a long day and I think I’m still a little tired from traveling. Jet lag, and all that. Besides, I wanted to try to go back into town tomorrow. Maybe I can figure out this whole map thing,” she breathed with a smile. How silly of him, she thought to herself, that he could believe he did anything wrong by her. She felt a pang in her gut as she pushed herself from the counter and approached him. 

She reached a hand out, tangling their fingers together with a timid smile. She squeezed once, watching Eddie nod in silence before letting go and turning towards the hall. 

“I’ll bring it in when it’s done,” he said, gesturing towards the now-steaming teapot. 

She nodded in thanks before retreating to the bedroom in solace, breathing a heavy sigh as the door shut behind her. She sunk to the floor as soon as the knob clicked into place, resting her head on her knees. 

_I have to tell him_ , she thought to herself. _He deserves to know_. But where would she go? She has found herself in a country she doesn’t know with people she hasn’t met and a reflection she doesn’t recognize anymore. Where does someone who has everything go when they find themselves with nothing left to hold onto? 

The thought made her sick to her stomach, and tears began to swell in her eyes. She lifted herself from the floor with shaky legs, breathing heavily as she tucked herself into bed with movements so frigid she could pass as frozen solid. She rolled onto her side, feeling the warmth of the sheet around her, feeling the fan above her head whir around in circles, feeling her heart thump in her ears. She knew she had to tell him, but not yet. She knew he needed to know the truth, but not yet. She knew courage was virtuous, but not yet. 

Her heart pounded loudly through her core, beating with every fibre of her being, breathing the words over and over again; _not yet, not yet, not yet._

***

The next morning was a whirlwind. Eddie woke up late for work and hustled to get himself out the door just in time to catch a taxi, leaving Dani to her own devices. 

She sat in bed for minutes, maybe hours, as the sun outside their window rose to a peak high in the sky, shining through the bitter frost that crept towards the edges of the glass. The apartment creaked with hollow sound, emptying vibrant noise randomly throughout the rooms and corridors. From her ears alone, Dani could swear this place was haunted. She had to get out of here. 

She stepped out of bed, pulling on an old pink sweater thrown haphazardly beside her feet. She yawned her body’s protest, but pushed herself to the dresser, pulling out a roughed-up pair of high-waisted jeans. She noticed a tiny hole fraying itself at the knees as she slipped them on, feeling their crisp warmth surround her legs. They were the jeans she had worn the day before, but she paid it no mind. 

With her winter coat hanging around her shoulders and her tattered shoes covering _most_ of her feet, she reached for her map and walked out of the lonely apartment. 

***

A lone snowflake nested on the tip of Dani’s nose. She quickly reached into her pocket to pull out her white knit hat, tugging it over her blonde waves as she walked. The sidewalk was fairly empty, most people probably taking shelter from the winter weather. Without the bustle of hurried bodies and the drone of incessant chatter, the world felt at peace; a great opportunity to clear her mind. She was tired of thinking, or overthinking for that matter. She felt like hammers were pounding away at her skull beside her ears, but as she walked the feeling began to dull. 

An ATM was tucked into an old brick building up ahead. Dani was finally able to exchange her wilting American dollars, and she would perhaps be able to revisit the florist sometime soon after. She shook the idea from her head, feeling her chest grow warm with the thought. 

As she approached the machine, quickly tapping in her information, she noticed a figure approach her from the corner of her eye. 

“How were those flowers, American?” 

Dani felt her heart jump and dive straight to her feet. She turned to find the florist standing beside her, clad in an oversized jean jacket and a black beanie covering her bouncing chestnut curls. Her hands were nestled in her jacket pockets and her eyebrow was raised in a smirk. 

“I-They were great,” Dani stuttered, her lips pulling up in an embarrassed smile. She was never this clumsy, especially not with words. She was able to teach children back home, how does she fumble her words so quickly around this woman? 

The florist held a pursed smile, almost as if she were holding back a laugh. 

“Are you free at the moment?” The florist took a half step forward as she asked and Dani felt her breath escape her entirely. As a slight winter breeze passed through, Dani caught the smell of fresh cut flowers and spice. It was a handsome combination, and one completely opposite from Eddie’s smell to Dani’s delight. 

“I am, actually. I-I was just about to take out some pounds, if that’s okay?” She gestured towards the ATM still glowing in waiting. The florist outstretched a hand and stepped back as if to urge Dani to continue. 

“Not many places around here take American money,” the florist said from behind her, shuffling her boots on the sidewalk. “I don’t usually make exceptions, but there’s a first time for everything.” 

Dani’s breath hitched as she continued typing. “I am so grateful for that,” she said quietly, watching as the machine spat out a small handful of bills before turning to face the florist, shoving the money into her coat pocket. 

“Don’t mention it,” the woman smiled. “I was on my way to the coffee shop if you wanted to join me? It’s just down the street, it’s p-”

“Absolutely,” Dani interrupted. Her cheeks immediately felt flushed with embarrassment. The florist said nothing at first, just watched as Dani began to realize what she did. 

“Alright then, American. It’s a date,” she grinned in amusement. Dani chuckled in apology, hiding her beet red face behind her palms. 

“It’s just down this way,” the florist gestured before the two of them began walking side by side. 

Snow began to fall a bit faster as they walked, settling comfortably on both of their hats. 

“So what did they call ya’ back in the states?” 

“Dani. Dani Clayton.”

The florist smiled and looked over at her before she halted, frozen on the sidewalk. She reached an outstretched hand in Dani’s direction. 

“Jamie. Nice to meet you, Dani Clayton.” 

Dani shook her hand, feeling calluses at the fingertips and softness at the palm. Her hand was warm and slender, inviting and calm. Dani breathed a silent sigh as she felt the florist’s skin against her own. She chalked the static between their fingers up to the dry weather. 

They began walking again, both of them shoving their hands back into their coats. The cold was bitter against Dani’s ears, barely covered by her hat. She looked over at Jamie, watching as she walked comfortably in her worn jacket. 

“How are you not freezing?” She asked with a laugh. 

“I guess I’m just warm blooded,” Jamie smirked with a wink in Dani’s direction. 

Before Dani could even process the action, Jamie stopped walking and pointed to a large white sign above their heads. 

“We’re here,” she said, wrapping her fingers around the door handle and pulling it open for Dani to walk through, a bell announcing their arrival. The smell of coffee grounds and cinnamon flooded her nose as she stepped across the threshold, taking her beanie off her head to feel the warmth of the shop. 

“Have you ever had English tea, Dani Clayton?” Jamie asked her as she tucked her own beanie into her jacket pocket. Dani shook her head. 

“People say my tea isn’t very good. I think it tastes fine, but I don’t make it very much anymore.” 

“Well, it’s about time you tried some,” Jamie grinned, gesturing out to the empty seating area. “How about you grab a seat for us and I’ll get the tea, yeah?” 

Dani nodded and began to pull out a bundle of pounds from her pocket. 

Jamie rested her hand on Dani’s stopping her in her tracks. Dani struggled to catch her breath, nevermind meet Jamie’s eyes. 

“I’ve got it this time, American.” 

“I...thank you,” Dani responded, finally meeting Jamie’s mossy eyes. She turned on her heel to find a spot in the nearly empty shop, finally deciding on a pair of white cushioned chairs settled in a corner by a window, frosted over with cold. By the time she took a seat, shrugging her coat from her shoulders to reveal her sweater underneath, Jamie was back with two brown mugs overflowing with steam. Dani reached for the mug offered to her, slightly brushing the florist’s warm hand in the process. She cleared her throat, quickly bringing the mug to her lips. The taste flooded her senses, burning her tongue and soothing her chest. The rich flavor danced on her lips, a flavor she could never achieve with her own attempt at tea. 

“Well?” The florist asked. “How is it?”

“Definitely better than mine,” Dani chuckled, setting the mug down on the small table in front of them. “Now I know what people mean when they spit mine back out.”

Jamie laughed, a whimsical sound that made Dani’s heart flutter. She smiled at the florist’s reaction, itching to get it again. 

“Well, it sounds like I _have_ to try it sometime.” Dani was infatuated with the thought of Jamie coming over to her home, sitting on her couch, drinking her horrible tea and talking about her day; Dani was infatuated with the thought of Jamie alone, doing nothing but _being_. 

“So,” Jamie continued, breaking Dani out of her own head. “How did you find yourself all the way over here?” 

Dani paused for a moment. She contemplated whether or not to mention Eddie in all of this, especially since she felt completely tumultuous in her feelings for him now. _But_ , she thought to herself, _if she were speaking with good intentions, why shouldn’t she mention him?_ After all, Jamie _is_ just an acquaintance now, nothing more. An acquaintance that smells like lilacs and whose laugh sounds like wind chimes on a summer evening. 

“My boy-um, fiance, got a job here. We had to transfer from the New York office.” Dani hesitated in meeting Jamie’s eyes. They seemed sorrowful, evergreen turned to muddy waters. 

“And what does your boy fiance do for a living?” Jamie joked after a pause, a glimmer quickly returning to her smile. Dani breathed a small sigh of relief at the recovery. 

“I’m...not entirely sure,” Dani chuckled, causing Jamie to laugh with her. Her heart skipped in celebration at the sound. “He does something with marketing, but we don’t talk about work much.” 

Jamie nodded her understanding, lifting her mug to her lips. Dani turned stone in mesmerization, watching as the florist’s tongue darted out, just barely caressing the rim of the cup. _Acquaintances can look at each other like that, right?_ She pushed the thought from her mind. 

“And what do you do, American?” 

“Well, I was a teacher for a few years,” Dani said, feeling her own energy turn solemn in remembrance. She missed her students more and more with every passing day. “Third graders, mostly. It was difficult but...I really liked it. I miss it a lot.” She took a drink of her tea to clear her throat. 

“So an American teacher finds herself in London,” Jamie began with a smirk, clearly trying to change the tone Dani accidentally set. “You’re a real Mary Poppins, aren’t you,” she remarked. Dani grinned widely, feeling blush overtake her cheeks as the florist stared at her with sparkling eyes. 

“I guess you could say that,” Dani agreed, relishing in the peculiar warmth brought on by the light banter; something she could never do with Eddie. Their conversations weren’t smooth, they were jagged like the teeth of a knife. Topics changed with little direction, words hung off tongues and awkward silences were the norm. With Jamie, it was different. With Jamie, Dani felt like herself. She felt like she could talk to her for hours. 

“Do you want to keep teaching? Here in London, I mean?” 

“I-I’m actually not sure what I want to do. I’m hoping I can figure something out after the holidays,” she remarked, gesturing outside to the flurry of snow outside, coming down much faster than before. 

Jamie was silent for a long while, watching the snow as it fell and tucked itself into piles along the windowsill. Dani watched as her face was marbled in thought, with her lips barely parted and a loose strand of chestnut hair tickling her bare neck. 

“Well,” the florist finally said, bringing her attention back to Dani with a smile. “It looks like it’s coming down a bit out there.” 

Before Dani could respond, Jamie shot up out of her seat and approached the cashier, mouthing something out of Dani’s earshot. She came back with a scrap of paper and a pen and sat back down. She leaned forward and began scribbling on the paper, using the coffee table between them to write. 

Jamie folded up the piece of paper and sat the pen on the table, handing the scrap to Dani. 

“I should get going,” she said, almost sadly. “Ring me sometime soon, yeah?”

Dani took the paper from Jamie’s hand, feeling warmth where her fingers were settled. Jamie stood, picking up her jacket and shrugging it on, flicking her tucked hair out from under the jacket collar and pulling out her beanie once more. 

“I hope to hear from you soon, Poppins. Maybe I can get a cup of that tea sometime.” With a wink and a smile warmer than the sun, Jamie turned away and shouldered out the door of the coffee shop, leaving Dani breathless in her wake. 

The nickname sung like music in her ears, a song with soft tones and violins and feelings and comfort. _Poppins_. 

Dani opened the paper still folded in her hand. Sure enough, on the paper was written twelve digits in dark black ink. In the corner, covered by her thumb, sat a small smudge. Dani moved her finger to reveal a heart drawn with shaky fingers. Her breath nearly stopped as she stared holes into the paper. 

By the time she came back down to earth, the sky was beginning to darken. Street lamps started turning on, igniting the sidewalk in a fiery glow. Before tucking the paper back into her pocket, she rubbed her thumb over the rough heart in the corner. She stood and grabbed her jacket, walking out of the coffee shop and into the cold, headed home with enough warmth in her cheeks to melt the snow around her. 

_Poppins_ , she whispered to herself. She whispered it the entire walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Thank you so so much for reading. I know it has been a bit since I last updated but I am officially on break from uni! Things should come a bit quicker now.  
> As always, be sure to leave a kudos and a comment! If anyone wants to follow me for more THOBM content, I am linking my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/viictoriapedretti) here. I hope everyone is having safe holidays and I can't wait to update again soon.


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